Pocket ball game



' June 2, 1936. J. 5, FRITZ POCKET BALL GAME Filed Aug. 16, 1955Patented June 2, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

POCKET BALL GAME Jacob S. Fritz, Zanesville, Ohio Application August 16,1935, Serial No. 86,581

' 3 Claims. (Cl. 273-96) My invention relates to improvements in pocketball games of the type in which a paddle having an aperture and adepending pocket secured to the paddle and surrounding the aperture, isinvolved. This type of device usually has a ball attached to a string orresilient cord.

In the ordinary device, as briefly described that the ball can get intothe net is to pass through the aperture.

An object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described,in which the net or basket may assume a position similar to that alreadydescribed, so that he game can be played by passing the ball through theaperture and in which means is provided for shifting the position of thenet or basket at right angles, thereby permitting the ball to enter thebasket without passing through the aperture as will be hereinafterexplained.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the typedescribed in which the basket is hinged to the paddle so as to be movedfrom one position to the other with means for holding the frame of thebasket in its adjusted position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the typedescribed having a novel basket holding means of simple construction,this holding means also having the additional functions of a hinge andmeans for adjusting the tension on the basket frame.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming part ofthis application, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the paddle with the basketsecured thereto in a position at right angles to that of the ordinarydevice.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the device alongthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the device along the line3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of a portion of the device along the line4-4 of Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the basket isused when secured in the position illustrated in Fig. l, and,

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the position of the basket whenit is used in the ordinary manner.

In carrying out my invention I make use of a conventional paddle 'l ofthe shape shown in the drawing. This paddle is provided with an aperture8. A ball 9 is secured by a resilient cord, such as a rubber band, III,to the handle by means of a staple II, or in any other suitable manner.

The basket or net l2 has a frame member or rim l3 of substantiallycircular shape, having a flattened portion l3a disposed in engagementwith'the paddle at a place near the aperture. This portion I311 issecured to the body portion of the paddle I by means of bolts I 4, outerwashers I5, inner washers i6 and winged-nuts II. It will be observedthat the outer washers ii are curved as shown at l5a in Fig. 3, toreceive the portion,

l3a. of the member I3 and forming, together with its inner washer l6, ahinge socket.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device theoperation thereof may be readily understood. The frame member I3 is heldfrictionally by tightening up on the winged nuts I! so that when thebasket is in the position shown in Fig. 1 it will remain in thatposition until it is' swung to the position shown in Fig. 6, that is tosay, it will remain in the position shown in Fig. 1 while the game isbeing played, but it may be readily changed to play the ordinary game bysimply swinging it up,

against the friction of the holding members.

In Fig. 5 the ball 9 is struck by the face of the paddle which bears thebasket, so that the ball is driven at right angles to the plane of theface, the flexible cord I2 stretching as the ball moves I forward. Theball returns owing to the flexibility of the cord, passes the paddle (asshown by the dotted lines), the paddle is turned over into the positionshown by dotted lines and is thrust forwardly so as to entrap the ballin the basket. It will be seen that the ball does not pass through theaperture in playing the game in this manner.

While I have shown in Fig. 5 the ball as being struck in the position todrive it in a substantially form of the game the ball is struck by thepaddle as shown and on the return swing the player endeavors to so placethe paddle that the ball will pass through the aperture into the basket.The fact that the basket is hinged enables the player to swing itoutwardly on its hinges and recover the ball without the necessity ofreaching through the aperture or of trying to shake the ball out of thebasket through the aperture. It often happens that when one attempts toshake the ball from the basket, the resiliency of the fabric of thebasket will collapse the latter when the paddle is reversed, thusretaining the ball. As stated above, in my form of the device all thatis necessary is to swing the basket away from the paddl and one has easyaccess to the ball.

I claim:

1. The combination with a paddle having an aperture therethrough, of anopen frame hinged to the paddle and movable to a position to encirclethe aperture, means for frictionally holding the frame in any of aplurality of adjusted positions, and a basket carried by said openframe.

2. The combination with a paddle having an opening, of a substantiallycircular frame, a pair of clamping members carried by the paddle, meansfor hinging said circular frame to said paddle adjacent to saidaperture, means carried by the paddle for exerting tension on saidhinging means whereby the frame may be adjustably secured in angularposition with respect to the paddle, and a basket carried by the frame.

3. The combination with a paddle having an opening, of a basket having aportion of the rim thereof hinged to said paddle and movable to aposition to cover the opening, and screw actuated means for varying thefriction of the hinging means, whereby the basket may be held indifferent angular positions with respect to the paddle.

JACOB S. FRITZ.

